HOUSTON, TEXAS – The University of the Incarnate Word baseball team used a two-run double from Cory Duran (Lewisville/Lewisville HS) and another RBI double from Brance Kahle (Colleyville/Grapevine Faith HS) to edge Houston Baptist University, 3-2 in a Southland Conference game Saturday at Husky Field.

The win gives the Cardinals (7-20, 2-6 SLC) their first road win of the season and it was not easy.  With a 3-0 lead and three outs to go, the Cardinals ran into trouble. John Shull (San Antonio/Churchill HS), who pitched a terrific game, left the game in the ninth with a 3-1 lead, a runner on second and the tying run at the plate.  Lance Moszkowicz (Spring/Klein Collins HS) came in and after walking three batters and the second run in, he got a groundout for his third save of the season.

Shull picked up his first win of the season after going 8.1 innings.  He allowed seven hits, two runs, no walks and a strikeout.  For the Huskies (13-14, 4-4 SLC), Julian Griego was tabbed with the loss after allowing 12 hits, two earned runs (one unearned) and two bases on balls.  It was only his second loss of the season and he is now 3-2 on the year.

Duran led the Cardinals offense with two runs batted in on two hits, while Kahle collected his team-leading 16^th RBI in the seventh inning.  Braden Martin (Andrews/Andrews HS), who served as the leadoff hitter for UIW, collected three hits, scored a run and raised his batting average to .327.  Eddy Gonzalez (Laredo/United HS) and Austin Hoffman (Goodyear, AZ/Millenium HS) collected two hits apiece and Tanner Wall (San Antonio/Johnson HS) finished 1-for-4 with a run scored. The Cardinals outhit the Huskies 14-7 and committed no errors, while HBU committed one error that led to an unearned run.

Kahle scored the first run of the game in the sixth inning after reaching base on a lead off error.  Wall and Duran hit back-to-back doubles with Duran getting credit for both of the runs batted in.  In the seventh, Kahle came through with a two-out double down the left field line to score Martin that proved to be the essential run in the contest.

The rubber game of the series is slated for tomorrow at 2:00 p.m.
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